


Dancing In The Moonlight

by queenofkadara



Series: The Piperford Chronicles: Piper Lavellan & Cullen Rutherford [4]
Category: Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Bartender AU, F/M, Fluff, Modern Era, Motorcycles, Smut, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:42:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21876106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofkadara/pseuds/queenofkadara
Summary: “Marry me,” Cullen said softly.Piper’s breath stalled, and her heart leapt into her throat. Had he just – had Cullen just asked her–?“What?” she said stupidly.His face instantly went red, and he grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, will you…? Er…”“Yes!” Piper blurted, and she shoved herself away from the motorcycle and jumped into his arms. “Yes, of course I will. Are you crazy? Of course I’ll fucking marry you. I…” She broke off and kissed him hard, and Cullen’s arms tightened around her as he returned her kiss. Joy was rising through her chest and lifting her lips, and eventually she was forced to stop kissing him only to laugh instead.With Cullen's impulsive proposal ringing in her ears and his gorgeous strong arms around her, wreathed in the perfect sort of weather her father would have loved, Piper saw this day for what it really was: the finest day of her life so far, and one she would brand in her memory forever.And when she and Cullen actually got married, Piper knew without a doubt that that day would be even better.*************Also known as: BARTENDER AU PIPERFORD WEDDING!!!!!!
Relationships: Female Lavellan/Cullen Rutherford
Series: The Piperford Chronicles: Piper Lavellan & Cullen Rutherford [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1292186
Comments: 22
Kudos: 34





	Dancing In The Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> This is a sequel to [The Luck Of The Law, ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17966816/chapters/42436517)my and Schoute’s modern bartender AU fic about Piper Lavellan and Cullen Rutherford!

###  CULLEN 

Cullen roughly rubbed the back of his neck. “...and remember to tell Jim that he needs to take initiative for obtaining releases for witnesses statements and surveillance footage. I shouldn’t have to hold his hand any longer. If he’s looking to become a junior partner, he should be shouldering more of the responsibility for those cases.” He pressed the phone between his cheek and his shoulder while he tapped at his laptop. “You also need to remind Ritts that I need everything squared away for the Remache, Thibault, and desRosier cases for when I return. Their court dates will be coming up within a week of my return, and we need to be prepared.” He idly tapped the mug of half-drunk tea on his desk. “Do you or Leliana have any remaining questions about those cases? I shouldn’t be taking calls while I’m away, but if it is absolutely necessary–”

Cassandra’s exasperated voice cut him off. “Cullen. You are only going to be in Rialto for one week. Leliana and I are capable of handling your cases until your return.” 

He frowned at the phone, then tapped impatiently at the laptop’s trackpad. “I wasn’t questioning your ability. I was only trying to help. Have you been having difficulty accessing the server recently? I find it has been taking far too long to pull up–” 

“Stop fussing about the server,” Cassandra said. “You are meant to be on vacation today. I am surprised you even called.”

Cullen paused, then slumped a bit. “I know,” he said. “I was not my intent to call. I am simply…”

He trailed off, and Cassandra’s softened voice filled in his thought. “You are going stir-crazy at home with nothing to do until your flight tomorrow.”

He let out a slow exhale. “Yes, precisely.” He glanced aimlessly around at his tidy home office. He had hoped that having a relaxing day at home would make him feel less anxious about the upcoming trip to Rialto, but he’d forgotten one crucial thing: he didn’t know how to relax. Not without Piper in the vicinity, at least. In the two and a half years that he and Piper had been together, Cullen still somehow hadn’t quite learned how to relax unless she was with him. 

He straightened and smoothed a hand over his tie, then stopped when he remembered he wasn’t wearing a tie, given that he was at home. He pursed his lips in annoyance, then spoke to Cassandra again in a businesslike tone. “Have Ritts send me the brief on the Connor case. I will start taking notes on it.”

She tutted. “Cullen–”

“Cassandra, I am nervous about this,” he interrupted. 

She didn’t reply right away, and Cullen took a deep breath before going on. “I know it is foolish to be nervous; you don’t have to tell me that. But it is the truth. So please, in the meantime, send me something to work on. It will soothe my nerves.”

She was quiet for a moment longer. Then finally she sighed. “All right, since you insist. I will have Ritts send you the brief. But you have no reason to be nervous,” she added sternly. “Your trip will go exactly as planned. It will be very romantic.” 

For the first time that morning, Cullen smiled. “Thank you. That is high praise coming from you.”

She made a disgusted noise. “I am hanging up now. Do not call me again.” Without further ado, she ended the call. 

Cullen smirked and placed his phone on his desk, then sat slowly in his desk chair. He stared at his laptop screen and waited with growing impatience for Ritts to email him the brief. When an entire minute went by with no email from Ritts, Cullen rose from his chair and began to pace. 

He picked up his phone and idly picked at the screen protector while he paced from one end of the small office to the other. He picked up his mug of stone-cold tea and drank it slowly, and by the time he was finished, there was still no email from Ritts.

“Maker’s breath,” he muttered. He paced around the office once more. Without work to distract him, the upcoming Rialto trip was crowding back into the forefront of his mind. When the anxiety became too much to bear, he swiped through to his contacts and tapped on a name, then lifted the phone to his ear. 

He waited tensely for four rings until she picked up. “Why hello there,” she purred. “What can I do for Kirkwall’s finest and most handsome lawyer?”

Cullen managed a small smile. “Hello, Hawke,” he said. “I just wanted to confirm that Piper’s bag is ready to–”

“–be picked up at five o’clock before the start of my shift? Yes, Cullen, it’s ready,” Hawke said cheerfully. “Just like it was ready when you called me yesterday and three days ago.”

He shifted his weight uncomfortably as Hawke’s bright voice went on. “All you need to do is swing by the Hanged Man to grab it on your way home from work, and Pipes will be none the wiser.”

Cullen tugged nervously at the collar of his shirt. “You’re certain she doesn’t suspect anything? You know how inquisitive she can be. I wouldn’t put it past her to know that something is amiss.” 

Hawke scoffed. “I would hardly call a surprise trip to Rialto ‘amiss’. It’s the opposite, actually! It’s going to be a hit!” She cackled. “See what I did there? I took your word, and… well, never mind, I think puns are funny. Hey, why do you keep calling me about this?”

 _I’m scared,_ he thought. But he didn’t want to tell Hawke that. She would either tease him or comfort him, and he was fairly sure that neither would make him feel reassured.

“I just wanted to confirm,” he said calmly. “I would prefer to be–”

“Prepared, I know,” Hawke said. “It’s okay if you’re nervous. What I mean is, why do you keep _calling_ me?”

He frowned, thrown off both by her question and by the fact that she knew he was nervous. “What do you mean?”

“Why don’t you just text me?”

Cullen wilted. _Hawke and Piper and their blasted preference for texting…_ he thought ruefully. “I didn’t want any records of our conversations on my phone,” he said. 

“Maker’s balls, you’re such a lawyer,” she giggled. “Afraid she’ll snoop, are you?”

“Snoop?” Cullen said in surprise. “N-no, nothing like that. But she uses my phone at times to look things up when hers is on the other side of the apartment.” His phone was also considerably newer than Piper’s, and she used it so frequently that he had even downloaded Instagram specifically for her use. 

Hawke laughed. “You let her use your phone?”

Cullen frowned, feeling more and more bemused by this conversation. “You… you don’t let Fenris use yours?”

“Well, I do now,” Hawke said. “But believe you me, it was a shock for us both when I accidentally forgot to close my incognito tab with all the porn gifs that one time. Actually, it was a good thing in the end because he picked one of them and was all, ‘Hawke, is there something you want me to’–”

Cullen loudly cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I must, er – there’s, er, urgent case files to attend to…”

Hawke cackled. “All right, all right, you’re overwhelmed by my sordid stories. I’ll see you tonight.” She made a loud kissy noise into the phone before ending the call. 

Cullen huffed in amusement, then put his phone down and idly rubbed the back of his neck, then glanced at the laptop screen. 

Still no email from Ritts. 

_Damn it,_ he thought. He sat heavily in his office chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. How was it possible that a day off was making him more stressed than a day in the office?

He sighed heavily and tried to come up with some household chore he could do until Ritts finally sent him the brief for the damned Connor case, but it was futile. The kitchen didn’t need to be tidied; there was a bowl from his morning oatmeal in the sink, but it was just one bowl. The rest of the apartment was as clean as usual, Piper’s plants on the balcony were watered, and everything he needed for the trip to Rialto was already packed. 

All but one thing, in fact. 

A fresh jolt of nerves poked his heart. Cullen stood up, and for the fourth time this week, he went over to his cabinet of confidential client files and tapped in the code, then opened the second drawer.

He reached into the drawer and pulled out a tiny grey box. He took a deep breath, then opened the box and studied its contents. 

The ring glimmered up at him, nestled in its velvet cushion with its perfect palladium band, and Cullen studied it with a churning in his gut. He still wasn’t certain that Piper would like the engagement ring he’d chosen. It was silver in colour, which matched the other rings she wore, and both of the jewelers that Varric had recommended had told him that palladium was lighter than platinum and thus would be more comfortable for a woman with slender hands like Piper’s. Still, Cullen was uncertain. The ring might be light and silvery, and it might remind Cullen fondly of her hair, but that didn’t mean she would like it.

 _Perhaps she won’t want an engagement ring,_ he thought worriedly. This had been his constant concern since the moment he had ordered the custom-made ring two months ago. It would be very much in keeping with Piper’s style if she didn’t want a ring at all, or if she wanted a tattoo on her finger instead of a ring. Piper was Dalish, after all, and Merrill had told him that the Dalish didn’t usually wear engagement rings. Perhaps the practice would be too human for her liking.

 _But Piper isn’t a typical Dalish elf,_ he reminded himself. If she was, she would have stayed with her clan, and she and Cullen would never have met – a point that Merrill had kindly reminded him of when he’d first asked her about Dalish engagement customs a few months ago. 

He carefully closed the box and replaced it in his locked cabinet. The ring would remain safely stored in this cabinet until right before he and Piper left for their flight tomorrow morning. And then it would remain safely in his pocket until after they had dinner at the seafood restaurant, and after dinner when he suggested they go for a walk on the beach, he would– 

His phone buzzed on the desk, and Cullen whipped around. _Perhaps it’s Ritts,_ he thought, but even as the thought occurred to him, the phone buzzed again, then once more.

He smiled as he picked up his phone. Only one person ever texted him that many times in quick succession.

_10:42am - where are you???_  
_10:42am - i’m at your office but tehy said ou were at home_  
_10:42am - youre not sick ar eyou??_

Piper was sending him even more typos than usual; she must be in some sort of a rush. He quickly tapped out a reply.

**10:42am - I am working from home today. There are a few things I wanted to wrap up before our weekend away.**

As far as Piper knew, they were just going on a short weekend getaway to Markham. He wouldn’t be able to keep tomorrow’s flight a secret from her for long – only until they took the turnoff to the airport, really – but he was still rather proud that he and Hawke had been able to keep the trip a surprise thus far. 

_10:42am - ok don’t move i’m coming over_  
10:42am - I HAVE RELALY EXCITIGN NEWS  
_10:42am - FUCK MY CLUMSY THUMBGS I’M CUTTING THEM OFF_  
_10:43am - i’ll see you soon counsellor!!!!!!! xoxo_

He chuckled and tapped out a quick reply. 

**10:43am - Take your time. I will be here.**

Thirty minutes later, Cullen was putting on a pot of coffee for Piper when he heard her key scrabbling in the lock. A second later, she burst into his apartment with the biggest smile on her face. 

“My bike is here!” she yelled. 

Cullen looked askance at her. “I would hope so. I can’t imagine you would have taken the bus.” 

“No, not that bike,” she said excitedly. “My motorcycle. My Kawasaki! It’s here at the dealership!”

Cullen’s jaw dropped in genuine surprise. “It is? Already?”

“Yes!” Piper squealed. She threw her lumpy backpack into the corner and started hauling off her boots as she continued to speak to him rapid-fire. “It wasn’t supposed to come for another two weeks – well, you know that, I won’t shut the fuck up about it – but it’s here early, they managed to ship one in from Orlais that someone changed their mind about, and it’s my make and model and everything, and Dagna just has to get the paperwork ready and do a couple maintenance checks and I can pick it up in two hours! _Two hours!_ ” She shoved her hair out of her face and beamed at him. “Can you believe it, Cullen? In two hours I’m going to own a motorcycle. I’m going to own a fucking motorcycle. I’m…” She trailed off, and Cullen noted with a pang of affection that her hazel eyes were shining. 

“I’m very happy for you, Piper,” he said warmly. “I know how long you’ve wanted this. I’m… truly, I’m thrilled for you.” 

Her smile widened. Then she ran toward him and launched herself at him. 

He caught her with an _oomph_ of surprise as she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Come with me,” she said. “To the dealership. Come with me to pick up my bike.” 

He hastily adjusted his grip to better support her weight. “Are you certain you want me to come?” he asked. “This was always something you wanted to do on your own.” Piper had always made it adamantly clear that she wanted no financial help or contributions toward the purchase of her bike, and aside from suggesting that she get Varric’s advice about making some high-interest investments, Cullen had forced himself to respect her wishes. 

“I wanted to _buy_ the bike on my own, yes,” she said. “But I want you with me when I pick it up.” She was smiling still, but her eyes were serious. “You’re the only one who really knows what this means to me. What it _really_ means. I…” She dropped her gaze and plucked idly at his collar. “I mean, you don’t have to come. I know you said you’re working and all, and I don’t want to interrupt… ”

He tipped her chin up and looked her in the eye. “Of course I will come,” he said softly. “If you want me to be there, then I will.” 

A slow smile bloomed across her face. She clasped his face and kissed him, and Cullen happily returned her enthusiastic kiss. A moment later, her nimble fingers were unfastening the buttons of his shirt, and when Cullen tried to lean away, she gently nipped his lower lip.

His breath stopped for a second at the delicate nip of her teeth. Then Piper leaned away from him and peeled her cropped Blightfall t-shirt over her head. 

His eyes instinctively fell to her bare breasts, and a flush of warmth pooled low in his belly. “What’s, er, what’s this?” he stammered.

She ran her nails carefully through his hair. “We have two hours to kill until my Kawasaki is ready,” she said. “I can think of a few ways we can pass the time.”

He smiled chidingly at her as he placed her on the kitchen island. “A few ways, is it?” he asked. Her bronzed and half-naked body clearly indicated the particular _way_ she had in mind, but Cullen had never been able to resist indulging her when she was in a playful mood. 

“Yep,” she said pertly. “You could go back to work, and I could hang out and catch up on _Blue Mountain State_. I’m a few episodes behind now.” She folded her legs demurely and slowly pushed her hair back. 

“I see,” Cullen said. He smoothed his hand from her ankle up to her knee. “What other options are there?”

She casually leaned back on her palms, all the better to show off her breasts. “Well, I could tell you all the specs for my new motorcycle for the twentieth time, and you could smile and nod and pretend to know what I’m talking about.”

Cullen wrenched his eyes back up to her face. “That sounds like a rather tempting option.”

Piper abruptly hooked one leg around his waist and pulled him right up to the counter between her legs. “Or you could fuck my brains out,” she said huskily. 

A roar of approval tore through his chest and sank into his belly. He opened his mouth, ostensibly to speak, but the next thing he knew, he was dipping his head low and suckling her pert nipple while firmly palming her other breast.

She jolted and slid her fingers into his hair. “Third option, then?” she gasped. “That’s a good choice, counsellor.”

For a moment, he didn’t reply; he was too busy laving her nipple with his tongue while unbuttoning her frayed denim shorts. Once her fly was undone, he lifted his mouth from her breast. “I am quite good at weighing my options,” he informed her. “Balancing the benefits and drawbacks, as it were.”

She eagerly began unbuttoning his shirt. “Oh yeah? What benefits did you see to the fucking-my-brains-out option?”

He watched dumbly as her fingers moved swiftly to the bottom of his shirt. “Well, I… I would think the benefits are rather clear.”

“I don’t know, counsellor, I think you have to be much more clear than that.” She shoved his shirt off of his shoulders and ran her fingers along his collarbones. “You need to spell it out so the whole court can hear.”

Her voice was exceedingly innocent, but her smile was anything but, and Cullen could feel his neck starting to warm even as he grinned at her. Piper knew very well how much he enjoyed her dirty talk, and she’d recently started trying to goad him into doing the same. He was not particularly confident about his efforts to say naughty things, but Piper always seemed to enjoy them, so he was game to give it another try. 

He shucked his shirt and tugged at the waistband of her shorts, and she lifted her hips obligingly so he could shimmy them off. She was fully nude now, and Cullen studied her appreciatively for a moment before speaking. 

‘The benefits include… you being naked on my kitchen counter,” he said. He cleared his throat nervously before speaking again. “I’m tempted to say you’re the, er, most… delicious thing that’s ever, er, sat on this counter before.” Despite his awkward delivery, the sentiment was genuine; Piper’s lithe body was a beautiful study of black ink and bronzed skin and shimmering silver hair, and she certainly made his mouth water more than anything else this kitchen had ever seen.

She grinned at him, then teasingly crossed her legs once more. “That’s a good benefit, sure. Anything else?”

He chuckled, then scooped her off the counter and into his arms. She hastily wrapped one arm around his neck for support, and when Cullen laid her back on the couch, she beamed at him. 

“Naked on your couch now, is it?” she purred. She slung one leg carelessly over the back of the couch and stretched her arms luxuriously overhead. “What’s the benefit of this?”

Her legs were spread shamelessly wide, and Cullen stared at her with an equal lack of shame. She was a flushed and rosy hue, generously glazed with the evidence of her desire, and Cullen slowly leaned his palms on the arm of the couch as he studied her longingly. “The benefit of this is… that you are lovely, Piper. I – no, not just lovely,” he said hastily. “You… you look wonderful. And soon I’ll be doing more than simply looking at you.” He ran one palm along the inside of her thigh, savouring the softness of her skin and the way her muscles jumped tensely beneath his hand as it neared the apex of her thighs. 

She lifted her hips subtly as he stroked her thigh. “And what drawbacks do you see to the fucking-my-brains-out option?” she asked breathlessly. 

He lifted his greedy gaze to her face. “I fear that two hours may not be enough time for everything we might want to do,” he said.

She let out a throaty little laugh. “Oh Cullen, you really know how to tease a girl.” Then she gasped as he smoothed his fingers between her legs. 

He slipped his fingers through her slickness and smiled at her. “Teasing you is not my intent, I assure you.”

She bucked her hips, then groaned in frustration when he continued to pet her gently. “What is your intention, then?” she asked impatiently.

“To please you, of course,” he said smoothly, and he kneeled at the foot of the couch and ran his tongue along the length of her cleft. 

She jerked her hips and arched her spine, and Cullen rested his palms on her thighs to keep her still as he circled her clit with his tongue before caressing the tiny bud with his lips. Piper always went wild when Cullen used a gentle touch, demanding more and pulling his hair and digging her nails into his shoulders, and sure enough, he didn’t have to pet her clit for long before she was grinding up toward his face and running her fingers through his hair. 

“Cullen,” she mewled. “You’re teasing me.”

He briefly lifted his face. “That’s an unfounded accusation, Piper. All evidence points to you being rather pleased.” Slowly and carefully, he slid one finger inside of her. 

She gasped and undulated toward him. “Cullen!” she cried. “Put your mouth on me!”

Her voice was sharp and needy and demanding, and the pulse between Cullen’s legs throbbed more strongly at the sound. He withdrew his finger, then slid back inside as he resumed his gentle kissing of her swollen folds. 

She dug her nails into the fabric of the couch and twisted her hips more desperately still. Her breathing was sharp and desperate, and the writhing of her body was smooth and sinuous and raw with want, and the pulse between his legs grew more and more urgent as she tried to chase her pleasure from his gently mocking mouth. 

She slammed her head back on the couch and lifted her hips clear off the couch. “Cullen,” she gasped. “Make me come with that silver tongue of yours. Right now!” 

Everything about her was a fierce and wordless plea, and Cullen finally gave in. He lapped firmly at her clit and curled his finger inside of her, and a handful of heartbeats later, she gasped and cried out her pleasure in a ringing voice that carried through his clean and tidy apartment. 

He kept his mouth in place, kissing her passionately until she dropped her hips to the couch once more. He lifted his mouth from the juncture of her thighs, but before he had time to do more than hastily wipe his face with one hand, Piper was sitting upright and kissing him hard.

She delved her tongue into his mouth, and he happily allowed the entry of her tongue, passing the flavour of her flesh from his tongue to hers. She reached down and grabbed his manhood through his trousers, and he burst out a groan. 

“Piper,” he begged. “I – please…” 

“Stand up,” she commanded. 

He stood, and Piper roughly undid his belt and his trousers and pulled him free, and–

“M-maker,” he gasped. Her mouth was on him, and he was sliding deep, deeper into her throat, and she was pulling him closer with her hands on his bottom – no, one of her hands was dipping low to touch herself– 

She moaned around his manhood, and he could feel himself pulsing with a heightened desire at the sound of her pleasure. A moment later, without stopping or slowing in her suckling, she shifted into a kneeling position on the couch and spread her knees to swirl her fingers between her legs. 

Cullen stared gormlessly at her, at her slender fingers moving between her legs and her lush scarred mouth as he filled her up, and his pleasure surged higher with every stroke of her talented lips. When she shuddered and let out a muffled cry of climax around his cock, he gasped and tenderly cradled the back of her neck. 

“Piper,” he moaned. “Please, I need to be inside of you.”

She released him with a gasp, then shot him a very cheeky smile. “So polite, counsellor,” she said breathlessly. “Is that how you get things done in the courtroom? Nice manners?”

He smiled at her as she stood up to face him. “In part, yes,” he said. “But I often need to be more assertive.”

As soon as he said the word, her grin widened into something wicked, and he could feel his blasted face and neck getting hot. “Assertive, is it?” she said teasingly. “That’s something I need to see.” She shifted her weight to one hip and lifted her chin in challenge. “If you want to fuck me, you’re going to have to be pretty damned assertive.”

He gazed at her with a combination of affection and exasperation, then reached out to stroke the line of her jaw. 

He took a deep and bracing breath, then spoke in the most confident voice he could muster. “I need to be inside of you, Piper.”

She shrugged and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Interesting. But I’m not convinced.”

 _Minx,_ he thought in amusement. He took a step closer to her and slid his hand around to cradle the back of her neck.

He tightened his fingers in her hair. “Place your hands on the back of the sofa,” he ordered.

Her eyes snapped to his face in a look of genuine surprise, and for a split second he was worried that he’d ruined the mood. Then a brilliant grin lit her face. “Yes, sir,” she purred, and she turned to face the couch and bent forward slowly to rest her palms on the back of the sofa.

She tossed her head and gave him a coy look over her shoulder. “Now what?” 

He licked his lips nervously, then straightened and folded his arms. “Now kneel on the sofa,” he said sternly. 

Her eyes crinkled at the corners with mirth, and she knelt obediently on the sofa. She arched her spine, forcing his wayward gaze to settle on her bottom and the charming clover that was tattooed there. 

His eager manhood jerked toward her, and Piper smiled. “Now what?” she asked huskily. 

He continued to frown at her, despite his body’s clamouring approval. “Now I’ll, er. I will show you, that’s what,” he said. He stepped up behind her and hastily pushed his trousers down to free himself completely, then took her hips in his hands and sheathed himself inside of her.

Her slick heat embraced him, sending a ripple of pleasure up through his abdomen and tearing a gasp of delight from his throat. Piper cried out and clenched her fists in the sofa, her back arching more deeply to take him deeper, and Cullen pulled her flush to his pelvis before slowly drawing back. 

He drew a shaky breath, then thrust into her hard, and she jolted. “Yes!” she cried. “Faster, Cullen, please–”

He thrust into her again, and she released another wild cry, and with every sound of pleasure that left her lips, her own pleasure surged and thickened, rising higher through his pelvis as their bodies met with a satisfying smack of skin-on-skin. Cullen panted for breath as he filled her up, staring at the smooth curve of her spine as it led down to the silly clover tattoo on her bottom that he loved so much, and with his every hard stroke and her every breathy moan, his boldness grew. 

He reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. “Are you convinced yet, Piper?” he rasped. 

She gasped and craned her neck back as he gently pulled her hair. “Convinced?” she whimpered.

He released her hair and stroked her breast instead. “Convinced that I need you,” he panted, and he rolled her nipple between his fingers. 

She cried out and arched her chest toward his hand. “I – _ah_ – I’m not sure, counsellor,” she said breathlessly. “I think I need a little more evidence.”

He burst out a little laugh. “Piper, you are a terrible minx,” he scolded. He stroked his palm along the length of her back, then slammed himself inside of her in a hard stroke. 

Her cry echoed beautifully through the apartment, and Cullen listened to her beloved voice with growing rapture as she continued to moan and breathe and whimper in time with his hard thrusting. Then, to his utter delight, she started talking.

“Cullen, I love when you fuck me like this,” she gasped. “I – I love when you fuck me all the time, but especially when you fuck me hard and you fill me up and make me scream. I just – I want your hands all over me, on every part of my body–”

He eagerly reached up and palmed her breast again, and she craned her head back and ground her hips back toward him. “Fuck, _yes,_ ” she moaned. She grabbed his hand and pressed his palm more firmly to her breast, and when he pinched her nipple, she cried out and twisted her spine like a cat. 

“Cullen!” she cried. She shoved his hand down and over her belly. “Touch me!”

He obediently slid his hand between her legs, and she spread her knees even more to give him access, and Cullen swiftly found her slick and swollen bud. He petted her until she was gasping, then gradually slowed his thrusting, and she arched her spine once more.

“Cullen, go faster,” she panted. “I want you to fuck me–”

“No,” he said. 

She whipped around and stared at him, and a brilliant smile lit her face. “ _What?_ ”

He smiled back at her – he couldn’t help it – but he quickly forced his face into a frown. “I said no, Piper,” he said in the most official tone that he could muster. “I want you to finish first. And then I’ll, er, resume.” 

Her grin curled into something both wicked and incredulous. “You’re holding out on me?” she asked. 

“I’m not, no,” he said. “But _you_ are holding out on me.” He stroked her clit gently with two fingers until her smile melted into a look of utter lust, then continued petting her patiently, smoothing her slickness over the swollen little pulse point between her legs, petting her in a short quick rhythm that he knew she particularly liked. 

She drew a rasping gasp of a breath, then let out a wild cry as her entire body shuddered. Then Cullen drew back and slammed himself in deep. 

“Yes!” she wailed. The pleasured sound of her voice, the ringing tension and the desperation: Cullen _loved_ it, loved it just as much as her naughty words and her teasing. The sound of her climax was like a catalyst, striking a thrill that buzzed beneath his skin and straight into his pulsing manhood as he gave himself to her in a hard and rapid rhythm. Cullen loved her voice, the sound of her ecstasy and how unabashedly she wanted him, the passion that she showed him and the boldness that she roused in his well-mannered heart, and… Maker’s breath, he wanted this forever. He wanted _her_ forever, Piper Lavellan, this bold and cheeky and tenderhearted Dalish elf, and he could only pray that tomorrow, on the beach in Rialto with that tiny grey box in his hand, that Piper would agree: that she would – that she would say– 

“Yes!” she cried again, and Cullen’s climax burst over him like one of those sudden tempests that struck Kirkwall at the height of the humid summer. His entire body was sparking, bathed in a scintillating shock of pleasure that poured hotly from his throat down to his belly and through to his calves, leaving him shaking and straining to hold himself upright as he thrust into her fitfully, wringing every last shiver of pleasure from her beautiful arching body. When he was utterly spent, he carefully withdrew from her precious warmth, then flopped onto the couch with a sigh of satisfaction. 

He smiled at her and held out an arm to beckon her close, and she grinned at him as she shook her head. “Give me a second to clean up, or I’ll leak all over your couch,” she said.

He grimaced apologetically, and Piper let out a bright little laugh. Cullen watched fondly as she waddled over to the kitchen and tidied herself up quickly before skipping back over to the couch.

She settled herself comfortably on his lap and draped her arms around his neck, and Cullen admired the scar on her smiling lips. “Thank you,” he said softly. “This was a very nice way to pass the time.”

“It sure was,” she said cheerfully. “And we still have…” She lifted his wrist and checked his watch. “... another hour and thirty minutes until my Kawasaki will be ready.” She grinned mischievously and wiggled her hips. “How many more times do you think we can fuck before we have to leave?”

He laughed and dropped his head back on the couch, and Piper leaned forward and kissed his jaw. “Don’t you play tired with me, counsellor. You said something about two hours not being enough time for everything we want to do,” she purred. She dropped her lips to his neck, and he hummed happily as her lips drifted along the line of his jaw toward his ear. 

“Do you have documented proof?” he murmured. “Witness accounts are notoriously unreliable.” 

She threw her head back and laughed, and Cullen grinned at her, then gasped when she ran her tongue along the side of his neck. 

She nipped his throat, then pressed her lips to his ear. “Maybe you should cross-examine me, then,” she whispered.

He sighed contentedly and ran his palm up her naked back as she nibbled his neck. “Maybe I should,” he said. “Maybe you should tell me the best ways to, er, obtain all the… most pertinent information.” 

She chuckled, then brushed her lips over his ear and began to whisper. The next hour passed by _very_ pleasantly indeed, and in all the torrid warmth of Piper’s pliant body, Cullen was even able to forget his nerves about the upcoming trip to Rialto.

###  PIPER 

“... can be a little jumpy, so you should be easy on the clutch at first until you get a sense of the tension – silly me, but I’m preaching to the choir here, you already know all that.” Dagna trailed off and cocked her head to one side. “Piper, are you okay?”

Piper nodded. “I’m great, Dagna,” she said. Truthfully, she’d hardly been listening to a word Dagna said; all she could think about was her father’s smiling face. She could just imagine him watching her, his arms folded and his face creased with pride as he watched her reconnecting the brake line on old Hawen’s shitty rat bike. And now, for her to purchasing a motorcycle of her very own – to be finally achieving the dream she’d had since she was a kid… 

She smoothed her beringed hands over the motorcycle’s seat, then pushed her hair back and beamed at Dagna. “I’m great,” she said again. “Honestly, Dagna, I’m… this is amazing.” She stood back and gestured grandly at the beautiful new Kawasaki. “This is the most glorious piece of machinery I’ve ever seen in my life. You know why?”

“Why?” Dagna said curiously.

“Because it’s mine,” she said with relish. “This motorcycle is mine.” She grinned at the dwarven mechanic, then turned to the motorcycle once more and settled her hands on the handlebars. 

A sudden and inconvenient burn of tears pricked the backs of her eyes. She blinked hard, thankful that her mass of hair was hiding her face from Dagna and Cullen. “It’s all mine,” she repeated, and she nibbled her lower lip.

She could feel Cullen’s sympathetic gaze on her face, but she couldn’t bear to look up. A moment later, he turned to Dagna. “Thank you,” he said. “We’ll let you know if we have any other questions. Is that all right?” he added to Piper. 

She nodded, and Dagna smiled at them. “No worries! You know where to find me,” she chirped. She traipsed away to her workshop at the other end of the garage.

Cullen stepped close to Piper and settled his hand at the center of her back. “Are you all right?” he said gently. 

She nodded and smiled at him. “Of course I’m all right,” she fibbed. “I’ve been waiting for this day for years. I’m… it’s…” She trailed off and forced out a burbling little laugh. “I can’t believe this day is finally here. It feels fucking surreal.” 

_Fucking surreal, and fucking bittersweet_ , she added silently. She’d dreamed of this moment for years, of the moment she’d finally own a motorcycle of her very own. After her father had died, the childhood wish had taken on an even greater significance – almost a memorial sort of meaning, since it was a dream that Feylhen had always supported so staunchly. After Peronn had fucked her over three years ago, she’d nearly abandoned this dream altogether, too discouraged and ashamed by the loss of her cash and her crushed heart to start saving money again.

Then she’d met Cullen. And she’d told Cullen about her father and the motorcycle and Peronn. And with Cullen’s constant support and encouragement, she’d started putting money in her savings account once more. 

She looked up at Cullen’s handsome and understanding face. She could tell from his expression that he knew what she was thinking, and for a moment she almost regretted how good he was at reading her, because she _wished_ so badly that she could enjoy this moment for what it was: a victorious achievement of her dearest aspiration. But from the moment Feylhen had died from that fucking stroke, Piper had always known this achievement was going to be tainted with grief. 

Cullen ran his hand gently over her hair. “Your father would be happy for you too, if he were here.”

 _Fuck it_ , she thought. He just knew her too damned well. She pressed her lips together and looked down at the motorcycle, trying hard not to cry in public in front of everyone, and Cullen stood silently at her side, his thumb tracing gentle circles on her back. 

When she’d finally mastered her stupid emotions into something more cheerful, she looked up at Cullen with a smile. “Will you come for a ride with me?”

His eyes widened. “Ride with you? On the motorcycle?” he said faintly. 

She beamed at him. “Yes, you silly handsome human. Come for a ride with me!” She took his hands and did an excited little hop. “Help me to break her in. I have helmets for both of us in my backpack–”

“You do?” he said.

“Yes,” she said excitedly. “I bought mine ages ago, and I borrowed Krem’s on my way over to your place. And I grabbed your varsity rugby jacket and threw it in the car before we left, it’s good thick leather and it’ll protect you.”

“You grabbed my–?” He broke off and gave her a chiding look. “You were planning this when you came to my apartment this morning.”

She gave him a winning smile. “Maybe I was,” she said. In truth, she’d barely even thought about it before stopping by Bull’s fitness center to borrow Kremmy’s helmet; the idea of having Cullen along for her first ride had been second nature to her. It wasn’t until she was getting in the elevator in his condo that she’d realized that maybe she _shouldn’t_ ask Cullen to ride with her until they were actually face-to-face with the new motorcycle. He was prone to overanalyzing the risks of things unless she sprang them on him as a surprise. 

Surprises, on the other hand, were something that Cullen was quite good at taking in stride.

He studied her worriedly for a moment, then wilted and rubbed the back of his neck. “Piper, I… I’m not sure about this. You know how I feel about motorcycles. The risks, some of the cases I’ve dealt with...”

“I’ll drive super carefully,” she assured him. “You know me, counsellor: I never speed.”

Cullen gave her a chiding look. “You speed the instant I’m not in the car with you.”

She laughed and pushed her hands through her hair. “Okay, fine, guilty as charged. Still, I won’t speed with you. I’ll treat you real gentle, I promise.” She smiled pleadingly at him and – okay, maybe she batted her eyelashes just a little bit. It always worked for Hawke when she was trying to talk Fenris into something, after all. 

He studied her for a moment longer, and to her delight, he finally nodded. “All right. I’ll come with you. But–”

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard. “Thank you,” she whispered, and she kissed his cheek twice. “It’s going to be fun, I promise.”

He wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Just… drive carefully, please,” he pleaded. “I’ve never been on a motorcycle before.”

“I know,” she said happily. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you.” She kissed his cheek once more before releasing him. “Dagna!” she called. “I’m ready to take the Kawi out!” 

As she and Dagna were preparing the Kawasaki for its virgin journey, she excitedly gave Cullen a run-down of motorcycle passenger safety, showing him the pertinent features of the motorcycle and how to lean into the turns. “It really is like riding a bike in some ways,” she said cheerfully. “Tap my shoulder once if you want to stop, and twice it’s it urgent. If you want me to slow down, you can hold out your left hand like this, and I’ll see it in the rearview.” She smiled at and took the helmet from his hands. “I know it seems scary with no backrest, but it’s safe, I promise. I’m all the support you’ll need. Besides, you’re well used to holding my waist.” She winked at him, then gently slid Krem’s helmet onto his head and pulled at the back of it. When the helmet stayed snugly in place, she lifted his faceshield.

He looked nervous, but he smiled at her all the same, and she smiled back at him with a throb of affection. He was always such a good sport with all her whirlwind ideas, following her from adventure to adventure with a smile and a fond shake of the head, and to have him here now for this inaugural ride… 

She swallowed hard, then idly tweaked his helmet. “Is it squeezing your head at all?” she said. “It shouldn’t squeeze, or you’ll have a headache before we get halfway to Sundermount.”

“Sundermount?” Cullen blurted. “You — you want to go that far?”

“Only if you’re okay with it,” she said soothingly. “By the time we get to the freeway, you’ll know if you’re comfortable enough to go any farther or not.” 

He took a deep breath, then nodded. “The helmet is comfortable. And I’m… well, as prepared as I am likely to be,” he said ruefully. 

She laughed and tapped his nose. “Thank you for the vote of confidence,” she teased.

He took her hand. “I am confident, Piper,” he said seriously. “You have my trust in this, as always.”

And this, of course, was one of the reasons she loved him so much. In the two-plus years that they’d been together, Piper had dragged Cullen from one madcap adventure to the next, from paintballing to horseback riding to white-water rafting in the Frostback Basin, and even though he was nervous, he’d always trusted her to show him a good time. 

He trusted her, and she trusted _him_ more than anyone, and… fuck, she really was going to cry if she didn’t stop being so sappy. 

She squeezed his hand before releasing him to put on her own helmet. She mounted the bike swiftly, then grinned at him. “All right, counsellor, get that handsome butt of yours on this bike.”

He nodded, then carefully approached the bike and sat on the seat behind her, positioning his feet on the footpegs and his hands on her waist as she’d instructed. Once he was settled, she turned her head to speak to him. 

“Ready?” she said, her voice muffled slightly by her helmet.

He nodded. “I’m ready,” he said, and he pulled the faceshield into place.

Piper grinned, then pushed down her own faceshield and started up the bike. 

It hummed to life beneath her, and for a second she was lightheaded with joy. That hum, that gorgeous purring hum that reverberated through her body and straight up to her heart: _this_ was what she’d been saving for for years.

Cullen’s fingers tensed on her waist, and she smiled. “You’ll get used to it,” she called to him. “You might even enjoy it.” 

She heard his wry chuckle through the helmet. “I hope so,” he said, and Piper smiled once more. He was going to enjoy this; she would make sure of it. 

As gently as she could, she started the bike in motion, and Cullen’s hands tightened on her waist as she gradually picked up speed. She stayed below the speed limit as they pulled out onto the road, and by the time they came to a stop at the nearest intersection, his hands had loosened to a gentle grip. 

She propped one foot on the ground and turned her head to speak to him. “You okay back there?”

He nodded. “I’m fine,” he called back. 

“I’m going to take us on a little spin around Hightown,” she told him. “By the time we’re done, you let me know if you’re okay to head out to Sundermount.”

He nodded again, and Piper took them through the familiar streets of Hightown, sticking to the speed limit and paying attention to Cullen’s body language more than anything else. His hands and thighs tensed occasionally, but he was leaning into the turns just as she’d told him to do. By the time she brought them to a stop in front of his condo, his posture and his grip on her waist were relaxed, and her heart was thrumming with hope. 

She turned the motorcycle off and gestured for him to dismount, then pulled her helmet off and shook out her hair. “Well?” she said with a smile. “What do you think? Does your ass hurt? Are you in the mood for a longer ride?” She closed her mouth to stop herself from babbling. She desperately wanted to go to Sundermount, and she desperately wanted Cullen to come with her, but she didn’t want to pressure him if he really wasn’t enjoying the ride. 

He took off his helmet as well, and Piper grinned fondly as he ran a self-conscious hand through his dishevelled hair. “It’s a unique feeling, certainly,” he said. “Moving at such a speed with no protection. Not – not _no_ protection,” he added hastily with a gesture at Krem’s helmet. “But no… enclosures, I suppose. It’s very…” He frowned. “‘Exposed’ isn’t the right word. What word am I looking for…” 

“Free,” Piper said simply. 

He looked at her, and she shrugged and smiled. “Being on a motorcycle is like… it’s freedom. No walls, no windows, just you and the road stretching ahead and the engine purring under your ass like a… like a second fucking heartbeat. That’s what this is.” She patted the handlebars affectionately. Mythal’s sake, she’d only had this bike for about twenty minutes, and already it was the most precious thing she’d ever owned. 

“All right,” Cullen said. 

She looked up at him, and her heart did a hopeful hop: he was smiling at her, and he looked more relaxed than she would have expected. 

“Let’s go to Sundermount,” he said. “I believe I’m ready for a longer ride.”

“Really?” she said breathlessly. 

He chuckled and put the helmet back on. “Don’t question this too much, Piper, or my nerves may get the better of me.”

“Okay,” she said excitedly. “Okay, okay, um – just – remember your hand signals, let me know if you want to slow down or stop…” She jammed her helmet back onto her head and mounted the bike, and as soon as Cullen was settled behind her, they set off on the journey toward Sundermount. 

Piper’s pulse was thrumming with anticipation, and her excitement only rose as they neared the exit onto the highway that led to Sundermount. At the last intersection before the exit, she called over her shoulder to Cullen once more. “I’m going to be picking up speed,” she yelled. “I’ll stick to the speed limit though, just for you.”

“I appreciate that,” he called back. He gently squeezed her waist, and Piper could tell that it was a squeeze of affection this time and not of nerves.

The light turned green, and with a breathtaking surge of excitement, Piper took them onto the exit to Sundermount. 

The road unfurled in front of them, a long black river of crisp asphalt that led to the wildness of Sundermount, and Piper grinned inside of her helmet as she gradually pushed their speed. Sixty kilometres an hour, then seventy, now eighty… She shifted gears and rolled the throttle, and a minute later, they were sailing along the freeway at a sweet hundred kilometres an hour, and it was… fuck, it was _perfect_. The wind was plucking at her jeans and her leather jacket and rushing past her helmet with a muted soothing roar. The road flew away beneath her tires like liquid, and the feel of the clutch and throttle beneath her hands was both achingly familiar and thrillingly new: she’d grown up with these handles in her hands, learning from Hawen and the other old guys how to maintain and repair their hogs and helping Loranil to build his entire bike from scratch. And now, to have the handles of her own motorcycle in her hands, like extensions of her arms and the engine like an extension of her body… 

A tear spilled down her cheek, followed by another. She carefully pushed up her faceshield and squinted against the wind, not wanting her tears to condense inside her helmet. If more tears continued to stream along her temples, she could easily chalk those up to the wind.

There was a movement in her left-hand mirror. She glanced at the mirror and smiled: Cullen was signalling a thumbs-up – the gesture she’d half-jokingly told him to use if he wanted to tell her he was having a particularly good time.

A fresh wash of tears left her eyes, and she returned her gaze to the road. Cullen’s hand returned to her waist, and Piper’s heart throbbed with love and joy and just a little bit of melancholy as they raced to the foothills of Sundermount. 

Almost an hour later, Piper pulled into the parking lot at Sundermount’s base, and she and Cullen dismounted for a stretch. She ruffled her hair and beamed at him. “It’s so much better when we’re just fuckin’ blasting along the highway, right? The wind and the scenery racing by – it’s like nothing’s holding us in place. I love it so much.” She stretched her arms and sighed happily.

Cullen didn’t answer right away, and when Piper looked at him, it was to find a fond and slightly goofy smile on his face.

She grinned at him. “What? Are you regretting coming here with your speed demon of a girlfriend?” 

He shook his head slowly. “Not at all,” he said softly. “In fact, I’m surprised you stopped here.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You want to keep going?”

He reached out and tucked some of her wayward hair behind her ear. “I know you want to take the demon road, Piper,” he drawled. “Why else would we come here as opposed to, say, the Bone Pit?”

His smile was soft and knowing, and she ducked her head. “Okay, fine, I do,” she confessed. “It’s just – the demon road’s got all those turns and curves, it’s going to be so fun, I swear–”

“I’m not saying no,” Cullen said. “In fact, we should probably set out now before I change my mind.”

Piper beamed at him, then kissed him on the lips before pulling her helmet back on. A minute later, they were on the bike once more and heading toward the twisting road that wound its way up the mountain’s west side. 

It was just as incredible as Piper had always imagined. She and Cullen had driven this road multiple times before on little random day trips when Piper needed an escape from the city and Cullen needed an escape from work, but taking this road on a bike was so much better than in a car. Piper kept her faceshield up as she drove, savouring the scent of the fresh mountain air and the hint of salt from the sea on the west. The higher they went, the more she leaned into the turns to lend the ride a playful swooping feel, and when Cullen leaned with her, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud. 

They reached the lookout point and dismounted, and Piper removed her helmet and turned to Cullen with a grin. “See? It wasn’t bad, was it?”

He took off his helmet. “It wasn’t bad at all,” he said. “Truly, I enjoyed it. It reminded me a little bit of being on an amusement park ride.”

She giggled and tweaked the collar of his worn varsity jacket. “You mean the carousel?”

He scoffed. “No, not the carousel. This was far more dangerous than a child’s ride.”

She threw her head back and laughed, but Cullen wasn’t finished. “Despite the danger, you made it feel very safe,” he said. “You’re an excellent rider, Piper. Not that I had any doubt.” 

She smiled at him and leaned casually against the bike’s seat. “Ah, that’s all thanks to my dad and the other old guys in my clan. They – well, you know all this. My dad was all, ‘if you’re going to ride a bike, you’re going to do it properly, and you’re going to know every nut and bolt…’” She smiled and twisted a lock of hair around her finger. “He started teaching me how to ride when I was thirteen, you know. Obviously not legal,” she added as Cullen’s eyes widened in dismay, “but it was just around the caravans and stuff. Real slow second-gear kind of stuff, just getting a feel for how to shift gears properly and all that.” She waved her arm vaguely. “That’s why I know what I’m doing. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid.”

“It’s not only that,” Cullen said. “You certainly know what you’re doing. But you wanted me to feel that I knew what I was doing as well. You…” He smiled and ran a hand through his curling hair. “Truly, Piper, I never imagined myself riding a motorcycle. But this has been a genuinely wonderful ride.”

She beamed at him wordlessly as another lump of stupid feelings filled her throat. Gods, she had hoped so much that he would enjoy this. If he hadn’t, that would have been fine, of course; riding wasn’t for everybody, and Cullen wasn’t wrong when he worried about how dangerous it could be. But she loved it so fucking much, and she loved Cullen so fucking much, and the idea of having him right behind her on a trip across the Free Marches, or maybe even across Thedas – maybe even on a bike of his own, if he got a real taste for it…?

“What’s on your mind?” he asked gently. 

She took a deep breath and smiled at him. “We’re here because of you, you know,” she said. She patted the handlebars. “I’d given up on this when we met. Lost all my fucking money and all that, you know. I wouldn’t have started saving up again if it wasn’t for you.”

His smile faded, and he took her hand. “I don’t believe that,” he said firmly. “You would have returned to this. It… you are more determined than you give yourself credit for.”

She lowered her eyes and twined her fingers with his, and for a moment they just gazed at the late afternoon scenery. The sun was tilted toward the west, and its brilliant afternoon rays were casting highlights across the forest below. It was her father’s favourite kind of weather: bright sun, a touch of humidity and a touch of breeze, cool enough on the mountain for her jacket and jeans to be comfortable, but warm enough that she could kick off her boots and be equally comfortable. 

She smiled to herself as she imagined Feylhen’s hale and smiling face. For the first year after his death, her memories of him had been tainted by the horrible images of those last few days: the slack fatigue in his face as he lay unconscious in his hospital bed with all the IV lines in his arms and his neck, and how he was barely able to keep his eyes open long enough for Piper to offer him a sickly smile. More than three years later, she recalled the good memories more often than those terrible last days, but every thought of her father still triggered a painful little pang behind her sternum.

Now, though, on the side of this mountain with this perfectly Feylhen-friendly weather, and with Cullen’s strong fingers twined with hers, the pain below her sternum was so dull that she could barely feel it all.

She smiled at Cullen. “He would have loved all of this.”

Cullen smiled slightly at her and squeezed her hand, and Piper went on. “He would have loved to see me on this bike at last. And he would have loved seeing _you_ on it with me.”

Cullen’s smile was soft and kind. “You wish he was here,” he said softly. “I can understand that.”

“Actually, I don’t,” she said. Then she grimaced and tugged a lock of her hair. “That sounded bad. What I mean is, well. It kind of feels like he is here, since he’d have loved all of this so much? But really, I… Cullen, _you’re_ the one I wanted to share this with. The second I heard my bike had come in, you’re the first person I thought of telling. You’re the first person I thought of sharing this with.” She took both of his hands and squeezed them. “I didn’t want to make a big deal of it or whatever, but seriously, I’m so… so fucking happy you’re here right now.” She beamed at him and tried to ignore the burning at the back of her eyes. “I love you a lot. You know that, right?”

He gazed at her silently for a moment, then reached up and brushed his thumb over her cheekbone. “Marry me,” he said softly. 

Piper’s breath stalled, and her heart leapt into her throat. Had he just – had Cullen just asked her–? 

“What?” she said stupidly.

His face instantly went red, and he grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, will you…? Er…” He wilted and sighed, then gave her a hangdog sort of look. “I had a plan,” he lamented. “And… and there wasn’t a motorcycle. But you were…” He trailed off, then dropped his hand to his side and straightened. He was trying so hard to recover his cool, and Piper’s thundering heart squeezed with a nearly unbearable surge of affection as he lifted his chin. 

“It doesn’t matter,” he said firmly. “I’ve thought of little else, and I don’t need a plan. Only to know if you would–”

“ _Yes!_ ” Piper blurted, and she shoved herself away from the motorcycle and jumped into his arms. 

He stumbled back slightly as he caught her, and Piper grinned at the explosion of happiness that burst across his pinkened cheeks. “You – you will?” he said.

“Yes, of course I will,” she exclaimed. “Are you crazy? Of course I’ll fucking marry you. I…” She broke off and kissed him hard, and Cullen’s arms tightened around her as he returned her kiss. 

Joy was rising through her chest and lifting her lips, and eventually she was forced to stop kissing him only to laugh instead. Her laughter was wild and loud, and Cullen’s arms were tight and secure as he held her up, and… Fen’Harel’s fuzzy cock, she loved him so fucking much she could barely stand it. 

She ran her hands through his beautiful golden hair. “Cullen, you nerd, I can’t believe you had a plan,” she giggled. “How long have you been planning this for?”

He scoffed quietly, but the smile remained on his face. “I – _this_ wasn’t my plan, I assure you.” 

“Then what was your plan?” she asked excitedly. “Come on, I want to know!”

He sighed. “I… this was a few months in the making. I had arranged to–”

“A few months!” she exclaimed. 

“Yes,” he said. “I… Piper, I must tell you something. We’re not going to Markham tomorrow, we’re… in fact, we are going to Rialto City. I knew you had always wanted to go, so I–”

“Rialto!” she squealed. “You were going to propose to me in Rialto? Wait, we’re – we’re going to Rialto?” 

He smiled at her. “Yes. I, um, I made a reservation at a restaurant that I think you’ll like, and–”

“You were going to propose over dinner?” she gasped.

“No, no, nothing so public,” he said. His face was steadily turning red again as he stammered on. “I was going to, um, suggest a walk on the beach after dinner, and then I… well, you see, I had a ring made for you, so I had thought–”

“A ring?” she exclaimed. She knew she was sounding stupider and more vapid every time she repeated his words, but – Cullen had planned all of this? For _months?_ He’d been thinking about this for months and planning all of this and having a fucking ring made for her? He’d done all of this for her and kept it all a surprise?

She sobbed suddenly, then clapped a hand over her stupid grinning mouth. Fuck, fuck, she really was going to be like one of those dumb girls in a reality show now. “Oh Cullen,” she squeaked, and she sobbed again. “That’s so – you – gods, that’s so f-fucking cute.” 

He burst out a little laugh and stroked the tears from her cheek with his thumb. “I suppose I will take that as a compliment. I’m sorry I ruined the surprise. I assure you, this was–”

“Don’t apologize!” she said. She quickly wiped her dumb tears and cradled his precious face in her hands – this precious, handsome, kind, adorable face that she loved so much. “Don’t you dare apologize. This proposal was perfect. Your plan would have been perfect too,” she assured him, “but this was… I love you, Cullen,” she blurted. “I can’t wait to marry you. I’m so excited!” 

He beamed at her. “I’m glad,” he said. “I must admit, I was concerned.”

“Concerned?” she said in surprise. “About what? That I’d say no?”

“N-no,” he said. “Not… not necessarily. I was – well, I was worried you wouldn’t like the ring…” He broke off and grimaced. “Ah, and I suppose you haven’t seen it yet, so there’s still a possibility–”

She kissed him again to stop him from saying any more foolish things. “Cullen, stop worrying,” she said warmly. “I’m so happy. I can’t wait to see the ring. I can’t wait to go to Rialto with you!” She gasped and clasped her hands together. “Will you propose to me a second time? I’ll pretend to be surprised and everything.” 

He grinned at her, then chuckled and set her on her feet. “Maker’s breath, Piper, you are a minx.”

She laughed and looped her arms around his waist. “And you’re going to be marrying me! Making a minx your wife!” She gave him a cheeky smile. “Are you sure you’re up for it, counsellor?”

He slid his arms around her in turn. “Of course I am,” he said. “I am always happy to tackle a challenge.” 

His smile and tone were teasing, and Piper laughed before popping up on her toes to kiss him once more. When she’d gotten the call this morning about her motorcycle, she’d known this was going to be an amazing day. When Cullen had agreed to come to Sundermount with her, the day had gotten even better. But now, wrapped in Cullen’s arms with his impulsive proposal ringing in her ears and his lovely soft lips pressed to hers, wreathed in the perfect sort of weather her father would have loved, Piper saw this day for what it really was: the finest day of her life so far, and one she would brand in her memory forever. 

And when she and Cullen actually got married, Piper knew without a doubt that that day would be even better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MODERN WEDDING ALIDSUFHASJKGHKFHG!!! We’ve been thinking about this for months but IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING!!!!!
> 
> I AM THE JON SNOW OF MOTORCYCLES (I KNOW NOTHING) so Professors YouTube and Google helped me out. [This article](https://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/how-to-be-motorcycle-passenger/) was particularly neat.
> 
> I am [Pikapeppa on Tumblr, and ](https://pikapeppa.tumblr.com/) [Schoute](https://schoute.tumblr.com/) is the beautiful mastermind behind the chaos and love that is Piper Lavellan! xoxo


End file.
